The speakership crisis in the Lagos State House of Assembly may soon be resolved as intervention by key figures in the All Progressives Congress appears to be yielding results.
According to The PUNCH, both the impeached Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, and the current Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, might step aside to allow another lawmaker to assume leadership of the House.
The development follows the intervention of prominent APC leaders, including former governors Chief Bisi Akande (Osun), Segun Osoba (Ogun), and Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos), among others.
President Bola Tinubu had directed this high-powered APC delegation to mediate the crisis after the Governance Advisory Council failed to find a resolution.
Genesis of the Crisis
The crisis erupted on 13 January 2025, when 36 lawmakers impeached Obasa and installed Meranda, then the deputy speaker, as his replacement.
Over 90 per cent of the lawmakers accused Obasa of poor leadership, persistent lateness to legislative sessions and plenary, high-handedness, disregard for colleagues and the executive, abuse of office, intimidation, oppression of members, and misappropriation of funds, among other allegations.
Obasa, who was in Atlanta, United States, at the time of his impeachment, has since rejected his removal, insisting he remains the legitimate speaker.
“My status in the House? I strongly believe I am still the speaker until the right thing has been done. If you want to remove me, remove me the proper way, and I will not contest it,” Obasa told journalists on Saturday, 25 January 2025.
APC Leaders Seek Political Solution
On Sunday, Osoba, Ambode, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and all GAC members met at the Governor’s Lodge in Marina to find a lasting solution.
The meeting, which reportedly lasted until around 7 pm, followed an earlier engagement with the lawmakers.
Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, a GAC member, Chief Muraina Taiwo, told The PUNCH on Monday that the party leadership was considering selecting a new speaker from among the seven lawmakers representing Lagos West.
“The issue will die down soon. Between now and the middle of next week, everything will become clearer. The APC leaders, including Chief Bisi Akande and Chief Olusegun Osoba, came to mediate.
“They will go back to Abuja to brief our leader (Tinubu) on how they feel about everything. They are suggesting to Speaker Obasa that he should step down and that the other woman (Meranda) should also step down, and they will bring in another new person. They are thinking of submitting a few names, but all will land at the table of the leader.
“You know the House is working based on seniority, that is, if you’ve spent two years at the House, you’re qualified to hold a higher position than someone in their first tenure. So they will go back to Abuja with seven names of the seniors in the House and from Lagos West,” he said.
He further confirmed, “The seven of them are ranking members in Lagos West. They are the ones whose names will be submitted to President Tinubu.”
Why Lagos West?
Party leaders reportedly considered it politically and ethically inappropriate to select a speaker from Lagos Central, as Governor Sanwo-Olu hails from the same senatorial district.
While details of the seven lawmakers under consideration remain undisclosed, sources familiar with the discussions indicated that David Setonji was being considered due to his experience and seniority.
A top source in Lagos APC, when asked about potential candidates for the speakership, said, “Setonji from Badagry is being considered among them. He is the one who is not like a first-timer among those in the West.”
Born in 1959, Setonji represents Badagry Constituency II and has been in the House since 2015. He is currently the Chief Whip, appointed by Meranda, and previously served as Deputy Chief Whip. A master’s degree holder, Setonji is also a former chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers, Lagos State chapter.
Obasa May Withdraw Lawsuit
Another APC insider, who attended the mediation meeting but wished to remain anonymous, confirmed to The PUNCH on Monday that both Meranda and Obasa would be asked to step down.
As part of the resolution process, Obasa may also withdraw his lawsuit against the Assembly and Meranda.
Obasa had sued the Assembly at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, arguing that his impeachment was illegal since the House was in recess at the time.
The source explained, “Meranda will step down, and Obasa will also step down. They will now pick someone else from Lagos West. Lagos West is the largest senatorial zone in Lagos. The lawmakers seem to have agreed; otherwise, there won’t be peace. Part of the understanding is that the case the man (Obasa) took to court, he will withdraw it as well.
“Whatever there is a legal solution for, there is also a political solution, so there will be compromises here and there.”
He added, “Those who don’t want Obasa feel that they have won the battle anyway, and the man will never be their speaker again. So there is nothing they are fighting for anymore.
“Meranda, whom they put there, is just a child of circumstance. And since things have changed – the woman herself is not a power monger, she didn’t say she has to be there forever. It is hoped that in the next one week, the agreement will be reached.”
GAC Chairman Confirms Mediation
Speaking with The PUNCH on Monday, the Chairman of GAC, Chief Tajudeen Olusi, confirmed that the party was mediating the crisis.
“The party is mediating. At the appropriate time, we shall tell you the conclusion of the mediating panel. Wait until the report is ready.
“It’s a mediating process. It’s part of the responsibilities of the party when there are conflicts within the legislature or even within the members of the party, for us to take our time and listen to all sides,” he said.
